Page 17 of Little Dark Deeds
“Isn’t that the truth.Hey, since you and Tiffany were so close, I’ve been meaning to ask ...can you think of anyone who had a motive to kill her?”
I shook my head.“She was happy the last time I saw her.Everything in her life seemed to be going great.And I can’t think of anyone who would want to kill her.”
“Tell me about that visit, if you don’t mind.”
“We hadn’t seen each other for a while, so we spent a lot of time catching up.”
“What did you talk about?”
I gave the question some thought.“Most of our conversation was just an average conversation between two women.But she did tell me she was seeing a new guy.”
“You get a name?”
“I want to say it was Tyler.I’ve seen her giddy about men in the past, but with this guy, it was different.”
“In what way?”
“She said even though they hadn’t dated long, she thought he was her soulmate, her forever person.And the thing is, she didn’t believe in that type of thing before he came along.I asked her what it was about him that made her think he was the one.”
“And what did she say?”
“She thought she connected to him on a deeper level than she had with the men in her past.I guess they first met on a Sunday, so their song wasA Sunday Kind of Love.”
“Etta James.Good stuff.”
“Great stuff.Tyler was a lot more attentive than other guys she’d dated.He gave her flowers every week, and then one day, they were out shopping, and she spotted an emerald necklace she liked.The next day, he bought it for her.”
Whitlock raised a finger.“Could be attentive or could be too good to be true.Sounds like the man was laying it on thick.A littletoothick, perhaps?”
“I had the same thought, though I never verbalized it.I didn’t want to poke holes in her blissful happiness.And besides, given I’m living my own blissful life with Giovanni, guys like that are still out there.”
“I should say, yes.I’d like to think I’m a bit of a gentleman myself.”
“From what I hear, you’re an exceptional gentleman.How are things going with my aunt, by the way?I saw you together at the wedding, looking cozy, I might add.”
He tapped a thumb to the steering wheel.“Laura is a funny bird, the kind that’s hard to keep once you catch it, though I keep trying.”
“Is everything all right between the two of you?”
“I should say, yes.She’s a wonderful woman.It’s just ...I’m not getting any younger.I turn seventy-two next month, and you know something—if there was one thing I’d like to have, it would be the two of us living together.”
“I’m guessing you’ve talked to her about it.”
“A few times.And look, I get that she doesn’t want to get married and that she thinks living together won’t allow her the independence she needs, but I think it would be splendid.”
“I know how much she cares about you.Who knows?Maybe she’ll come around.”
“I’m not too sure.She’s set in her ways, as feisty as they come.”
“So was I ...and look where I am now, married to a man I never thought I’d ever see again after college.Hey ...speaking of marriage, Tiffany was supposed to bring the new guy to the wedding.Not long before she died, she texted me and said something came up, and she’d be coming on her own.”
Whitlock raised a brow.“Did she explain thesomethingthat came up?”
“She didn’t.I texted her back and asked how things were going with the guy.She said she’d tell me all about it after the wedding, which didn’t seem like a big deal to me at the time, but now ...”
“You’re thinking something may have happened between the two of them.”
“It’s possible.I’m sure I’ll be able to track him down.I just need his last name.”
